Most herbal traditions utilize a variety of herbs with purported cardiovascular benefits. Scientific research aimed at validating those claims has resulted in supportive evidence for some traditional uses for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as illuminating information on their precise mechanisms. Consult your doctor before using herbs to treat a cardiovascular condition.
Artichoke Leaf
Artichoke leaf extract may prove beneficial at lowering cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk factors. In a meta analysis, a review of previously published research, artichoke leaf extract lowered total cholesterol by 4 percent in a 12-week study and 18.5 percent in a 42-day study. Adverse side effects were mild and infrequent. The researchers concluded that artichoke leaf extract holds potential for safely lowering cholesterol. The study was published in the October 2009 "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews." Talk to your doctor before taking artichoke leaf to ensure your safety.
Nattokinase and Red Yeast Rice
A combination therapy using nattokinase -- an enzyme extracted from fermented soybeans -- combined with red yeast rice -- a type of fermented rice known for its cholesterol-lowering properties, showed considerable cholesterol-lowering effects in a study published in the 2009 issue of the "Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition." In the study, participants took 50 mg of nattokinase or a combination of nattokinase with 300 mg of red yeast rice extract twice per day for six months. The group that consumed nattokinase alone started to show benefits at the six-month mark, while the combination formula showed benefits after one month. The combination therapy lowered triglycerides by 15 percent, total cholesterol by 25 percent and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 41 percent. The benefits were sustained through the study period. The researchers concluded that nattokinase, together with red yeast rice is preferable to nattokinase alone for lowering cholesterol levels. Get medical clearance from your doctor before taking nattokinase or red yeast rice.
Stanols
Plant stanols effectively reduced LDL cholesterol by 16 percent in a study published in the February 2011 issue of the journal "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids." The stanol compounds, which are derived from plant sterols, were found to be approximately twice as effective as sterols. The meta study included 113 research studies. The authors added that doses above the currently recommended dosage of 2 g per day provided additional benefits.
Berberine
Berberine, a compound found in barberry, goldenseal and several other medicinal herbs, combined with the plant extract policosanol, red yeast rice, folic acid and the carotenoid antioxidant astaxanthin, produced significant cholesterol-lowering effects in a study published in 2007 in the journal "Arzneimittelforschung." The combination therapy lowered total cholesterol by 20 percent, LDL cholesterol by 25 percent, apoprotein B by 29 percent and triglycerides by 26 percent. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol -- the good form of cholesterol -- increased by 5 percent in the study. A group that took berberine alone showed between 50 percent and 75 percent of the benefits of the combination therapy. Discuss taking berberine with your doctor to determine if it is appropriate for you.
References
- "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews"; Artichoke Leaf Extract for Treating Hypercholesterolaemia; B. Wider, et al.; 2009
- "Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Combined Nattokinase With Red Yeast Rice but Not Nattokinase Alone Has Potent Effects on Blood Lipids in Human Subjects With Hyperlipidemia; Y.C. Yang, et al.; 2009
- "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids"; A Comparison of the LDL-cholesterol-lowering Efficacy of Plant Stanols and Plant Sterols Over a Continuous Dose Range; K. Musa-Velosa, et al.; 2011
- "Arzneimittelforschung"; Eulipidemic Effects of Berberine Administered Alone or in Combination With Other Natural Cholesterol-lowering Agents; A.F. Cicero, et al.; 2007
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